The Planetarium du Jardin des sciences at the Université de Strasbourg opens its doors

After the construction of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium in Montreal, Cardin Julien continues to share his expertise for scientific buildings, this time in Europe! Indeed, in the heart of Strasbourg, a new Planetarium opened its doors this summer in a completely renovated garden. To picture the sky, imagine the cosmos, talk about astronomy : the program’s dreamlike dimension inspired the architectural team led by frenak+jullien (France), with Cardin Julien (Canada), associate architects and m+mathieu holdrinet (France), project architect, to create the building’s singular form. It is with great pride that we unveil this new building dedicated to the dissemination of scientific culture within the University of Strasbourg.

Situated between the imposing Zoology and Geology institutes, the planetarium is made up of two dark volumes that stand out against the garden’s abundant greenery: a truncated cone to house the 138-seat projection room and its entrance gallery; a cylindrical volume to accommodate the lobby of the Jardin des sciences and related services. Reaching for the sky, the truncated cone suggests a timeless quest for knowledge of the universe, while the open and radiant lobby points towards the many sites managed by the Jardin des sciences.